General Information



Mission StatementBuilding a world-class school system through education, collaboration, and innovation.Vision StatementThe Richmond County School System will create a world-class, globally competitive school system where all students will graduate and are college/ career ready.American Literature and Composition Syllabus2020-2021Instructor InformationInstructorEmailClass LocationMrs. Karen Mackmackka@richmond.k12.ga.us Classroom 237 (A Hall)General InformationCourse DescriptionThis course focuses on a study of literary topics and themes across the history of the United States developed from the 18th century to present day; students develop an understanding that theme is what relates literature to life and that themes are recurring in the literary world. Students explore the effect of themes regarding interpretation. Students will also demonstrate competency in a variety of writing genres: narrative, expository, argumentative, and technical. Students will be able to construct college-ready research papers of significant length in accordance with the guidelines of standard format styles such as APA and MLA. Students will engage in research, timed writings, and the writing process. They will skillfully employ rhetoric and figurative language, purposefully construct tone and mood, and identify lapses in reason or ambiguities in texts. Students will recognize nuances of meaning imparted by mode of presentation, whether it is live drama, spoken work, digital media, film, dance, or fine art. Instruction in language conventions will occur within the context of reading, writing, and speaking, rather than in isolation. Students will demonstrate an understanding of listening, speaking, and viewing skills for a variety of purposes.Course ObjectivesStudents will be able to employ strong, thorough, and explicit textual evidence in their literary analyses and technical research. They will understand the development of multiple ideas through details and structure and track the development of complex characters and advanced elements of plot such as frame narratives and parallel storylines. Student writing will reflect the ability to argue effectively, employing the structure, evidence, and rhetoric necessary in the composition of effective, persuasive texts. ?Students will be able to present their findings orally, as well as, with the use of digital media (textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) to enhance the understanding of findings and add interest. These objectives represent only a sampling of the myriad objectives of the class.Tentative Calendar of TopicsSeptember 8- October 26, 2020Unit 1: Perspective of Early America Primary Focus: Literary Writing Focus; NarrativeOctober 27-December 18, 2020Unit 2: Perspectives of Freedom and RevolutionPrimary Focus: InformationalWriting Focus: InformativeJanuary 6- February 22, 2021Unit 3: Nature, Individualism and Supernatural Primary Focus: Informational TextWriting: ArgumentativeFebruary 23- April 1, 2021Unit 4: American DreamPrimary Focus: Informational/LiteraryWriting: ChoiceApril 13- May 19, 2021Unit 5: ReviewCourse Standards (A list of standards can be found at )Unit 1 Priority Reading Standards:ELAGSE11-12RL1ELAGSE11-12RL2ELAGSE11-12RL3ELAGSE11-12RL6Priority Writing Standards:ELAGSE11-12W3Unit 2Priority Reading Standards:ELAGSE11-12RI1ELAGSE11-12RI2ELAGSE11-12RI3ELAGSE11-12RI6Priority Writing Standards:ELAGSE11-12W2Unit 3Priority Reading Standards:ELAGSE11-12RI1ELAGSE11-12RI2ELAGSE11-12RI3ELAGSE11-12RI6Priority Writing Standards:ELAGSE11-12W1Unit 4Priority Reading Standards:ELAGSE11-12RL1ELAGSE11-12RL2ELAGSE11-12RL3ELAGSE11-12RL6Priority Writing Standards:ELAGSE11-12W1ELAGSE11-12W2 Or ELAGSE11-12W3Expectations and GoalsComplete and submit all classwork and homework assignments on time.Students should be prepared daily: be on time; in proper dress; have pen, textbook, and papers.Be respectful of the learning environment.Technology is to be used for educational purposes only. A sign will be posted when technology is allowed in the classroom. No photos or recordings allowed in class unless prior authorization is given.Do not use unkind or disrespectful language or gestures.Your teacher has the right to amend these rules and expectations.Course MaterialsRequired Materials3Ring?Binder?(1/2?inch) ????????????Notebook?paper Earbuds Writing utensils preferably blue and/or black?ink pensDividersColoring Pencils/ CrayonsOptional MaterialsHighlighters?(pink,?green,?yellow, blue) Post?it?Notes TissueHand sanitizerNote CardsComputer/ TechnologyRequired TextPearson Online TextbookPrentice Hall Literature Common Core Grading PolicyThe DISTRICT GRADING PLAN is applied to points earned by the end of a grading period is as follows: A =100-90; B=89-80; C=79-75 D=74-70; F=69 and below. Assignment grades are recorded on a point basis. A grade may count more than once depending on the skill(s) assessed. Term grades are calculated as a percentage of the total points possible. Areas evaluated will be weighted as follows: 50%= Summative Assessment (Unit Assessments, Extended Writing Assignments, Performance Tasks)50%= Formative Assessment (Quizzes, Class work, Homework, Quick Writes)End-of-course AssessmentStudents at the high school level will take an end-of-course assessment in American Literature and Composition. The end-of-course measures are administered at the completion of the course, regardless of the grade level. These measures serve as the final exam for the course, and contribute 20% to the student’s final course grade. More information, as well as, practice exams can be found on the Richmond County School System webpage in the Parent’s Directory.Student Absence and Late WorkStudents who are absent from school are required to bring a written excuse for the absence their first day back at school. Upon return to school with a written excuse, students will be given their missed assignment on Canvas. Students can make up all late work until two weeks before end of 9 weeks. Every week the assignment is late, it is minus 10 points. After three weeks, quizzes and tests will also have 10 points taken. Students can come early in the morning or after school to make up any assignments. Communication ProtocolCommunication can take place in a variety of formats. I encourage parents, as well as, students to contact me if they have concerns about their assignments or academic performance. My preferred method of contact is through Remind, a free text messaging app that helps teachers, students, and parents communicate quickly and efficiently. Please follow the directions on the syllabus to sign up for Remind. You may also contact me through email: mackka@richmond.k12.ga.us. Please allow 24 hours for me to respond to your email. Behavior ProtocolRCSS Code of Conduct outlines the official progressive discipline policy which may be activated based on the student’s behavior and the judgment of an administrator. Other actions may include but are not limited to: Verbal warningPhone call to parent/ guardianWritten referral to administrationAcademic Honesty PolicyAcademic honesty is an integral part of the learning process. Academic dishonesty is unacceptable because the teacher is misinformed to help the student learn. It is also unacceptable on a larger scale because it is dishonest and subtracts from the student’s personal integrity. If a student is ever concerned about an action, it is best to ask the teacher for guidance. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, copying a friend’s work, cutting and pasting blocks of text without proper documentation of sources, etc. Violating the Academic Honesty Policy will result in a “0” on the assignment and a parent conference. Virtual Tutoring Tutoring is available through FEV Tutoring 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. The link for FEV Tutoring is . Also, for those students who request tutoring with me, I am available virtually every Wednesday from 5:00-5:45, but I must receive 24 hour notice before the Wednesday tutoring session.Class Period: _____Syllabus Signature FormName of student: _________________________________________I have read and understand the class syllabus and expectations for American Literature. In addition, the following information is current.Parent’s name: _________________________________________Parent’s home phone/cell phone: _________________________________________Mailing address: ________________________________________________________________________________Parent E-mail address: ________________________________________________________________________________ Student signature Parent signature________________________________________ _____________________________________ ................
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